It’s safe to say that Scott Rolen is back. One night after driving in his first run of the postseason, Rolen homered twice as the Cardinals beat the Astros 6-4 in game two of the National League Championship Series. Carlos Beltran hit a first-inning homer for the second straight night, putting Houston up 1-0. Single runs in the fourth and fifth extended Houston’s lead to 3-0. But with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Larry Walker and Scott Rolen hit two-run homers, giving the Cardinals a 4-3 lead. The Astros tied the game in the seventh on a Morgan Ensberg RBI single. But Albert Pujols and Rolen hit back-to-back home runs leading off the eighth, the first back-to-back homers in Cardinal playoff history. Jason Isringhausen pitched a scoreless ninth for the save. After going hitless in the first round, Rolen is 3-for-8 with two home runs and 4 RBI against the Astros. The Cardinals now own a 2-0 lead in the NLCS. Game three will be played in Houston on Saturday afternoon. Jeff Suppan will start for the Cardinals, with Roger Clemens scheduled to take the mound for the Astros.
